Buckle



March 1.6, 1943. A. A. RITTR BUCKLE Filed Oct. 8, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR @dan o. wenn@ vmom@ A TTORNEY.

A, A. RITTER March 16, 1943.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BUQKLE Filed yoct, 8., 1942 A INVENTOR M Q, @ila/b,

Patented Mar. 16, 1943 parte ear BUCKLE Alois A. Ritter, Racine, Wis., assigner to Hartmann Trunk Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin 8 Ciaims.

This invention relates to improvements in buckles.

Buckles for securing complementary strap sections together are customarily formed of metal. Due to the present scarcity of metal for civilian commodities, it is now highly desirable to eliminate the use of metal wherever possible, and it is therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a non-metallic strap buckle of simple and efficient construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide non-metallic buckle mechanism for complementary strap sections wherein one of the strap sections carries adjustable buckle elements and the other strap section is formed with a series of spaced apertures and is adapted to be adiustably and selectively engaged by thebuckle elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide non-metallic buckle mechanism for compiementary strap sections to which, when the strap sections are secured together by the buckle mechanism, a small padlock may be readily applied to prevent unauthorized release of the buckle mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a leather buckle structure applicable to thel retaining straps of a trunk or hand luggage case, blending with the exterior materials of the trunk or luggage case and presenting a unique, attractive and rugged appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide .a complementary strap section buckle which may be easily and quickly manipulated, which provides a very secure and eiective fastening, which is strong and durable, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which is well adapted forthe' purposes set forth.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved buckle, and its parts and combinationsas set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters .indicate the same parts in all of the views: l

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a hand luggage bag wherein the complementary straps for the securement of the bag section closure flaps are releasably engaged by the improved buckles;

FigpZ is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail view of the side of the closed luggage bag showing the securing straps engaged by the buckle;

Fig. 3 is a similar view only showing the double slide vloop member of the buckle structure in a posi ion to permit release of the buckle tongue;

Fig. i is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and on a larger scale, only with the padlock removed;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional View of the showing in Fig. 3 only with the buckle tongue turned to permit its withdrawal from a strap aperture;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical sectional vievv showing the complementary strap sections separated and disengaged through the Withdrawal of the buckle tong-ue from a strap aperture;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional View taken on line -i of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 8 is a top view of another form of hand luggage case wherein the complementary securing straps for the case sections are releasably engaged by the improved buckles.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will appear that in Figs. l to 7, inclusive, the improved buckle structure is, by way of i1- lustration, shown applied to a soit-sided hand luggage bag comprising a compartmental body section i@ having ilexible side walls Il, there being open upper ends to the compartments of the body section adapted to be closed and covered by nexible iiaps I2. These flaps have their inner edge portions secured in meeting relationship along the top longitudinal median oi thc body section it?. These flaps l2 are adapted to ilexibly drape over and cover the open ends of the compartments vof the bodysecticn it and to have their free edge portions extended over outer side wall portions Il of the bag. When the bag is packed for transportation purposes, the flaps l2 are retained in thev closing positions illustrated in Fig. l by-means of sets of complementary straps i3 and iii respectively. The straps i3 may have their inner ends secured within the seam formedV atthe securement of the inner edges of the cover flaps l2. Therstraps lf3 may have their inner ends secured along the bottom longitudinal median of the bag. The straps .i3 and id are all slidably extended thro-ugh guides l5 properly positioned on and secured to portions of the aps i2 and side walls il. For the purpose of relaasably retaining the closure flaps i2 in their covering positions, the free ends of the complementary straps i3 and ifi are `brought together in voverlappingrelationship along side wall portions of the bag, as shown, and are releasably secured ftogether in proper adjusted positions by means of the improved buckles, forming the subject of this invention. y

The improved buckle mechanism shown in detail in Figs. .2 to 7 inclusive includes an elongated leather tongue I6 turnably connected at one end to an outer face portion of a free end of a strap I4, being that portion of said strap which is adapted to be overlapped by a depending free end portion of a complementary strap I3. The tongue I is considerably narrower than the strap I4 upon which it is mounted. The tongue is formed of an elongated flexible leather strip doubled over or looped upon itself with the free ends thereof in superimposed relation and turnably mounted on the extended shank portion of a rivet I'I which is secured in the strap I4. The doubled or two-ply tongue Iii is swingable upon the shank of the rivet Il, and the superimposed ends of the tongue mounted on the rivet shank are rounded, for the purpose hereinafter to be set forth. The closed or looped free end of the tongue is utilized for the reception of the locking bar I8 of a small padlock i9, as will hereinafter appear. The free end portion of the overlapping complementary strap I3 is provided with a series of spaced apart oval or eccentrically shaped openings 2li. l

To releasably engage the overlapping free end portions of a pair of complementary straps I3 and I4 through the improved buckle mechanism, the straps are rst brought into overlapping relationship, and if the same are applied to a luggage bag, as in Fig. 1, the straps serve to hold in covering relationship the ilaps I2. The two-ply leather tongue IG should be turned on the rivet I'I so as to extend longitudinally beyond the free end of the strap ifi, in the manner shown in Fig. 6. Then the free end of the tongue I6 is passed entirely through a selected opening 2l] in the overlapping strap I3, whereupon the engaged portion of the strap I3, in the region of the opening 2b through which the tongue has passed, is snapped over the shoulder formed at the rounded inner end of the tongue so as to lodge on the rivet shank inwardly of the secured end of the tongue. Thereafter, when the tongue I5 is swung through an are of 180 to the position of Fig. 4, the tongue will overlie the secured portion of the strap I3 to hold it in rm engagement with the strap I4.

There is freely slidably mounted on the strap I d a double slide loop member 2I. This double `-slide loop member has an inner large loop portion embracing the strap I4 and superimposed on the large loop portion is a smaller loop portion ZI. When the double slide loop is moved along the lstrap I4 toward that portion which is overlapped by the strap I3, the inner large loop will slide l over and conine the extended portion of the strap I3, easily moving onto the same by virtue of the fact that the free extremity of the strap I3 is tapered, as shown. Continued movement of the double slide loop in the same direction will permit the extended portion of the tongue I6 to be passed through the small superimposed loop portion 2l', resulting in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, wherein this position of the slide loop will eiectively prevent any swinging or of the tongue adjacent the secured end of the tongue and beyond the lip of the opening 20 engaged by the rivet I'I rmly engages the overlapping str-ap I3 and prevents it from slipping outwardly over the rivet and the shouldered end of the tongue. The buckle mechanism may loe quickly released and the straps I3 and Ill separated through reversal of the operations described.

The improved buckle is completely devoid of metal except for the rivet I'I which, if necessary, might be formed of wood, ber, plastic, or other non-metallic material.

A slight modication of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 8 wherein the buckle mechanism is applied to complementary strap sections I3' and I Il' which in their application need not be adjustably secured together. In the modied exemplication the complementary straps I3 and irl are secured to rigid Walled sections Iila. and Ib of a box-like hand luggage case. When the complementary case sections Ita and Ib are in closed relationship, the overlapping strap sections I3' and I4' always meet in the same relationship and hence the overlapping free portions of the straps I3' are provided with but single apertures through which the tongues I5 are extended when the buckles are to be engaged. In other respects the arrangement is as described in connection with the principal form of the invention and double slide loops are engaged over the straps I3 and tongues I for purposes of securement.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved non-metallic buckle mechanism is susceptible of application wherever it is desired to releasably secure together the meeting ends of a pair of securing straps. rlhe buckle is of simple and novel construction and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In combination with a pair of strap ends brought into overlapping relationship, one of the strap ends having an aperture therein, a buckle, comprising a eXible tongue having one end portion turnably mounted on the other strap end, the tongue being insertable through the aperture in the first-mentioned strap end, and means movably carried by a strap end and enagageable with the tongue for retaining the same in said inserted condition.

' 2. In combination with first and second strap ends brought into overlapping relationship, the first strap end having an aperture therein, a buckle, comprising a exible tongue having its inner end portion turnably mounted on the sec- Vond strap end and extendable through the first strap end aperture, and a slide fastener slidably mounted on the second strap end and movable onto the rst strap end and the tongue to releasably retain both of the same in connected relationships.l

3. In combination with first and second strap ends brought into overlapping relationship, the first strap end having an aperture therein, a buckle, comprising a ilexible, elongated tongue of less width than the second strap end and having its inner end tu-rnably mounted on said second strap end and extended bodily through the rst strap end aperture, and a double slide loop mounted on the second strap end and adjustab-ly movable therealong to conningly, releasably engage both the first strap end and the tongue.

4. In combination with rst and second strap ends brought into overlapping relationship, the

first strap end having an aperture therein, a buckle, comprising a flexible, elongated tongue of less width than the second strap end and having its inner end turnably mounted on said second strap end and extended bodily through therst strap end aperture, the free end portion of said tongue being in the form of a closed loop, a double slide member mounted on the second strap end and adjustably movable therealong onto and beyond the looped end of the tongue to coiiiiningly, releasably engage both the first strapj'end and the tongue to secure the strap endsand tongue in superimposed relationship, and alock detachably engaging the looped end of the tongue to prevent undesired removal of the slide member from said tongue.

5. In combination with first and second strap ends brought into overlapping relationship, the rst strap end having a series of spaced aper tures therein, a buckle, comprising a flexible, elongated tongue of less width than the second strap end and having its inner end turnably mounted on said second strap end and extended bodily through a selected aperture in the first strap end, and a double slide loop mounted on the second strap end and adjustably movable therealong onto the first strap end and onto the tongue to confiningly, releasaly engage said rst strap end and the tongue to hold the same in superimposed relationship relative to the second strap end.

6. A fastening device, comprising a pair of complementary strap sections, the rst strap'section having an opening therein, a stud projecting from the second strap section, and a flexible tongue having one end portion turnably mounted on said stud, the tongue, in` one turned position being bodily insertable through the first strap opening, and in another turned position overlying the apertured end Vof the iirst strap section and holding it tightly against the second strap section.

7. A fastening device',` comprising a pair of complementary strap sections, the first strap section having an opening'ftherein, a stud projecting from the second strap section and having a shoulder, and an elofgated flexible, narrow tongue having its inner end portion turnably mounted on said stud,` diie turned position of the tongue permitting entrance of the same through said first strap opening 'and relative movement of said strap and tongue for engagement of said strap opening over the stud shoulder, and another turned position causing the tongue to overlie the apertured engaged end of the rst strap section with both strap sections in overlapping relationship and preventing removal of the iirst strap section opening from the stud shoulder.

8. A fastening device, comprising a pair of complementary stiap sections, the first strap section having a series of` spaced apertures therein, a stud projecting from ,the second strap section, an elongated, flexible, narrow tongue having its inner end portion turnably mounted on said stud and forming a shoulder, said tongue, when in one turned position, being bodily slidable through a selected aperture insaid first strap section With said rst strap sectionvaperture forced over the tongue shoulder and stud, the tongue in another turned position having its shoulder overlying stock of the iirst strap section adjacent said aperture to prevent movement of the first strap section along the tongue, and a. slide loop mounted on the second strap section and movable therealong to releasably embrace and hold in superimposed relation both strap sections and the tongue.

ALOIS A. RITTER. 

